Some of the fantastic work happening in Community Hubs in South Australia has been celebrated at Community Hubs Australia’s National Conference, and Lutheran Care could not be more proud!

Lutheran Care’s Community Hubs Coordinator, Larni Robb, was invited alongside Bonnie Creek (the Hub Leader at St Brigid’s Primary School, Kilburn) to present at the conference, held in Melbourne in late May.

Larni and Bonnie led a 25 minute presentation which celebrated the journey of a hub participant, whom the hub team supported to move from volunteering into a paid role.

They shared with the conference how volunteering is often a valuable pathway into paid employment, though the journey isn’t always straightforward. The hub participant whose story was shared, began volunteering at St Augustine’s Parish School Community Hub in 2023 after being introduced through the playgroup. With a natural ability to connect with others and a strong desire to support her community, she quickly became an integral part of the Hub, assisting with Playgroup and the Toy Library. With support and mentoring from the Hub Leader, she was encouraged to recognise her strengths and build new skills. Over time, she stepped into a leadership role in volunteer recruitment and onboarding, and eventually took on paid roles in the crèche and as an interpreter, supporting local families in multiple ways.

Most recently, she was selected as a paid Co-researcher for a University of South Australia project aimed at improving access to the SA Government’s Sports Voucher program for multicultural communities. While she made the tough decision to step back from this opportunity due to personal challenges, her story highlights an important truth: the transition from volunteering to paid work requires more than just skill—it requires confidence, support, and readiness. At Community Hubs, the teams walk alongside community members through every step, providing encouragement, celebrating progress, and offering a safe place to pause and try again when the time is right.

Larni and Bonnie’s session concluded with a 10-minute Q&A.

There are 10 Community Hubs across Adelaide that Lutheran Care supports through the employment of the Coordinator role. Whilst focused on offering migrant and refugee women and their children opportunities for connection, learning and growth, the hubs are welcoming and inclusive spaces, co-located at local primary schools, that anyone can attend.

Nine of the 10 South Australian hubs were represented at the conference, with team members welcoming opportunities to learn from and connect with other Community Hubs representatives from Victoria and across the country.

During the first six months of 2025, Community Hubs Australia-wide:

• engaged with 9,459 families  

• ran 3,607 early childhood activities helping children develop social and language skills, resilience, and being ready for kindergarten or school 

• provided 2,677 classes for participants to learn and practise their English 

• made 5,869 referrals to external support services, including family support, emergency aid, and education and training  

• partnered with 458 local organisations who facilitated programs, offered counselling and support, and donated funding or resources 

• provided volunteering opportunities to 1,251 people and,  

• helped participants secure 191 jobs. 

To find out more about the Community Hubs here in South Australia that Lutheran Care supports, visit: https://www.lutherancare.org.au/community-hubs/